Nowadays, conventional pocket notebooks which use paper are commonly being replaced by electronic diaries which convert various kinds of information into electronic data for storage or processing purposes. Electronic diaries are used as business card binders, telephone directories or address books, by storing various data in memory. The electronic diary can be used for managing the user's schedule by inputting his schedule. In the case where the electronic diary is provided with a telecommunication function, it can exchange data with a word processor, for example.
Mobile navigation apparatus is utilized for guiding a motor vehicle driver who is in an unfamiliar area to his destination. In use, the first process is a setting-up process which establishes the destination and starting point, and the second is a route searching process for establishing the route between two points which is to be followed by the motor vehicle and is carried out before the navigation apparatus guides the driver along the route.
In the setting-up process, the navigation apparatus retrieves the destination data, for example the coordinates of the destination or of intersections near the destination, and stores the destination data in the memory. Input of the destinations or the like is carried out by the driver through an input device such as a touch-panel mounted in the motor vehicle. For example, the input data may be the place name of the destination or a telephone number of the destination, or a selection from a list of destinations which may be district names, town names, or the like, sequentially displayed in windows style. In a particular navigation apparatus, GPS (global positioning system) is used for obtaining the present position which is then utilized as the starting point.
In the route searching process, the navigation apparatus establishes the route between the starting point and the destination, identified by the starting point data and destination data as input in the setting-up process, by using map data and road data including intersection data stored in a database, and stores the thus-established route.
In order to guide the driver along the route, the navigation apparatus sequentially displays the route and arrows showing the direction of travel of the motor vehicle towards the destination on a road map in accordance with the established route.
In conventional navigation apparatus, the above mentioned setting-up and course searching processes are commenced after a driver gets into the motor vehicle, since input of the destination in the setting-up process is carried out through the input device mounted in the motor vehicle after the driver or a passenger gets into the motor vehicle. Both processes require a certain time, thus, the driver cannot start the motor vehicle immediately after he gets into it.
Further, the input of the starting point in the setting-up process is also done through the input device positioned in the motor vehicle and, accordingly, a long input time is required overall.